Executive Board member

Archival Curator

Ellenville

To the editor:

You may have heard that a museum dedicated to the famous Borscht Belt has opened in Ellenville.  Although for this summer it is just a pop-up, you’ll get a glimpse of what’s to come when we are fully opened in 2025. Because there are some naysayers regarding the museum’s location being in Ulster County, I feel it’s important to clarify why Ellenville was chosen.  

The committee searched in Sullivan County for an appropriate building for at least a year and a half. Some were acceptable on the outside but needed extensive and costly internal work to be functional. Others that did have potential, lacked the character and presence fitting a museum, and some were just too ridiculously  expensive. The building that was chosen was at one time a bank that helped lend money to many hotels and bungalow colonies where others would not. It is on the NY State Historical Register because of its beautiful front Facade. Does that tell you something?

But let’s talk about how people have said the Borscht Belt Museum must be in Sullivan County. If a town in Sullivan County was chosen in the western end, say Long Eddy, and in no way am I putting Long Eddy down, the response would be, “Hey, that wasn’t really part of the Borscht Belt.” That would be the correct response. But it would be in Sullivan County, so that’s really not the issue.

Now as many of you know Ellenville did have several Borscht Belt Hotels: The Nevele, Fallsview, and let’s not forget the area of Greenfield Park with the Tamarack or Ulster Heights which had a great deal of bungalow colonies and many are still operating today. Or how about Spring Glen that has seasonal rental units and let’s not forget the Homowack. All those mentioned are in Ulster County but were always considered part of the Borscht Belt. So, there should be no argument about that.

A friend of mine just gave me a 1940’s book titled “County Resort Hotel Association, Sullivan and Ulster Counties.” There’s a map that shows Ellenville and all the area west as being part of the Borscht Belt. The hotel owners clearly recognized where the Borscht Belt was.  So, for those of you who want to know more about the history of Sullivan County, there is the Sullivan County Museum in Hurleyville. But for those of you who want to visit a museum whose focus is about the wonderful days of the Borscht Belt, with its incredible history, come to Ellenville and visit a museum dedicated to just that. And like the name states: Catskill Borscht Belt Museum.